What were they thinking?

Nunavik’s Innulitisivik Health Centre is a financially troubled organization, not unlike many other health-care providers in Canada these days.

The centre, based in Puvirnituq, is one of two small hospitals in Nunavik. This fiscal year, they’re facing a deficit of $17.6 million, on revenues of $57 million. The Nunavik health and social services board, of which Innulitisivik is a component, now carries a $67-million debt.

As might be expected, health centre staff have been asked to cut costs and reduce their use of supplies.

All this makes one wonder what the health centre’s board members were thinking about when they spent $11,500 to hold a board meeting at a hunting and fishing lodge from Aug. 25 to Aug. 29.

The lodge, “Les Entreprises Aliva Tulugak,” is owned by Aliva Tulugak, the brother of Harry Tulugak, who happens to be the chair of the board that runs Innulitisivik.

Asked to comment on allegations raised by union members about the perceived impropriety of the trip, Harry Tulugak had this to say:

“I’m too much of an old guy to be sucked into an interview like this. I refuse at this point to inform you…. I will not feed that animal, that gossip animal.”

We’re not sure what planet Tulugak lives on right now, but on Planet Earth, people expect more from public officials.

When a debt-ridden health-care organization blows $11,500 on a meeting at a holiday camp, it sets a bad example for the entire organization – and it’s no surprise that morale at the health centre has hit rock bottom. That’s a sign of bad management, plain and simple.

JB